Three gun dealers sued by New Jersey attorney general, who says they violated state law
TRENTON, NJ– New Jersey's attorney general on Tuesday charged three firearms dealers, saying one had illegally stored firearms visible from outside a store and the two others tried to sell “ghost guns.” The lawsuits mark the first complaints filed under a 2022 law passed last year.
Attorney General Matt Platkin said he filed the lawsuits in state court to send a message to firearms dealers in violation of state law.
“We're going to hold these people accountable, but they won't be the last,” Platkin said during a news conference with Firearms Enforcement Director Ravi Ramanathan. “I think others in the industry need to keep in mind that if you break our laws, we will come after you. We will also hold you accountable.”
The lawsuits seek unspecified monetary and punitive damages, as well as an injunction against the companies: FSS Armory, of Pine Brook, New Jersey; gun show operator Eagle Shows in western Pennsylvania; and gun retailer JSD Supply, also from western Pennsylvania. The Associated Press left email messages seeking comment from the companies.
One of the lawsuits alleges that FSS Armory stored stacks of weapons near a ground-floor window of its store, an arrangement that was visible online. In January, a group of people traveled to the store, broke the window and made off with more than 20 weapons, including handguns, shotguns, rifles and a revolver, Platkin said. Most of the stolen guns have not yet been recovered, and those that have been found at crime scenes or on the black market, he said.
State law requires that firearms be secured and not kept in a window or area visible from the outside.
The other lawsuit, against Eagle Shows and JSD Supply, alleges that the companies wanted to sell so-called ghost guns, which are illegal in the state, to New Jersey residents. Ghost guns are weapons without serial numbers that cannot be traced.
JSD Supply sold ghost gun products at Eagle Shows across the New Jersey-Pennsylvania border, while Eagle Shows continues to directly advertise their New Jersey shows, according to the complaint. It is unclear how many such weapons have been sold to New Jersey residents, but state police have arrested numerous residents returning from out-of-state Eagle Shows with illegal products, Platkin said.
The lawsuits were the first filed by the state under a bill that Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed in July 2022 aimed at holding gun dealers accountable in civil court. When asked why he hasn't filed a criminal complaint against the companies, Platkin said only that civil cases also play a role in enforcing the law.
New Jersey isn't the only state to prosecute gun dealers in civil court.
In October 2022, Minnesota filed suit against a gun dealer, alleging he sold firearms to straw buyers that were ultimately used in a fatal shooting. Earlier this year, Kansas City settled with a dealer who allegedly ignored evidence that guns were being sold illegally.